Method and means for weaving wire fabric



March 5, 1929. i H. LINDSAY 1,704,542

METHOD AND MEANS FOR WEAVING WIRE FABRIC Filed March 10, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l fla 5M4 dam March 5', 1929.

Filed March 10, 1926 2 Sheet-Sheet 2 gwuamfoz Patented Mar. 5, 1929.

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HAMILTO1\T LINDSAY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO LINDSAY WIRE'WEAVIIVG COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND,OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

METHOD AND MEANS FOR WEAVING WIRE FABRIC.

Application filed March 10, .1926. Serial No.'93,583.

One of themost difficult problems to overcome in the manufacture of paper with Fourdrinier paper making machines is the elimination of water marks which extend longitudinally of the paper and for substantially the entire length of the roll. This problem has necessitated the expenditure of considerable time and money to locate the cause of the water marks, and to provide a remedy therefor. I have found that the objectionable water marks are due to slight displacement of warp wires from the plane of the wire belt, and that such almost imperceptible displacement can occur during the making of the. fabric, While the weft wires are being driven into the work. This displacement I have also found has been due to slight inaccuracies of construction in the reed, which are almost impossible to eliminate. For example,. if the winding tape which is used for holding the reed dents in proper spaced relationship is tighter in some,

places than in other places, then uneven spacing between the dents will occur. Moreover, if the pitch which is used for holding the binding tape in place should harden or solidify unevenly-throughout the length of the reed, then such unevenness would also tend to affect the smoothness of the weave. Due to the particular construction of the reed making machinery such unevenness is apt to occur for a continuous portion of the reed; further the displacement is frequently so great as to render the reed useless. Moreover there are other causes that affect the degree of smoothness in a direction transverse 1y of the warp, such as the degree of hardness of the weft wires. I-Ieretofore compar atively soft wire had to be usedfor the weft, but this makes a cloth which is not as strongv in the body as that which is woven with a comparatively hard wire. With my inven-. tion I. obtain exceptionally smooth results without necessitating a fine degree of accur acy in wire temper, and therefore without requiring the use of a comparatively soft weft wire.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide means for eliminating slight displacement of the warp wires during the formation of the fabric without materially altering thepresent loom construction.

A further object of the present invention is to provide means for making wire cloth wherein the corrugated effect due to inaccuracies in reed construction. is eliminated. In this connection my invention contemplates the provision of means which will enable smooth cloth to be woven without correcting the inaccuracies in the reed. Thus I mayuse reeds which heretofore have been regarded as worthless.

v The preferred means for carrying out my invention is. shown in the drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a front elevation of ,aYloom embodying my invention;,Fig. 2 is a perspec-' tive view of a portion of the loom showingv more in detail the use of my invention; Fig. 3 is a cross section taken through the batten on aplane indicated by-the line 33 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4L is a diagrammatic view show ing the relationship of the batten swing to the shed and work; Fig. 5- is a section on an enlarged scale showing more detail the effect of engaging the wire on the underside, while the'ba-tten isnear the forward end of the swing; Fig. 6 is a diagrammaticviewshowing a cross-section through the woven fabric and indicating on an enlarged scale the effect of and as extending for substantially the entirelength of the reed. The practice hereto} fore has been to keep the upper edge of the lower strip beneath the bottom of the lowermost exposed portion of the reed dents.

Under such conditions the warp wires in certain regions are apt to be displaced out 9 of theplane of the fabricof the cloth so that when fabric is removed from the loom it assumes a corrugated appearancewhich is illustrated on an enlarged scale in Fig. 6. The corrugations thus extend transversely of the warp wires, and hence when a belt which is made from such fabric is in use, the corrugated portions are flattened due to the pressure placed upon the belt while it is passing across the suction box; but since the belt is prevented from stretching laterally by the side rails, then the belt has a tendency to pucker and thereby to cause the formation of water marks which extend longitudinally of the paper.

displacement ofsome of the Ihave found that such displacement of the warp wires may be overcome by exerting pressure on the underside of the work, and entirely across the work about the same time at which a weft wire is being driven into the work. A simple and convenient way of accomplishing this is to extend the lower clamping strip above the lowermost exposed portion of the reed dents, so *thatthe warp wires adjacent the Work will be raised slightly by contact with the strip at about the same time that each weft wire is driven into the work. The upper edge of the strip 14 may be curved and polished to provide a smooth surface, and thereby to prevent abrasive action upon the wires. v

The height/to which the upper edge of the strip may be adjusted with reference to the bottom of the reed depends 'upon "the relative position of the bottom of the reed to the work when the batten is at the end of the forward swing. I have found that best results can be accomplished by "having'the upper edge of the strip sufficiently high that the work is engaged by the strip while the weft wire is an inch or two away from the work; This contact between the :strip and the wires occurs while the wires are under tension, and .therefore cau-seszthe warp wires to be bowed slightly upwardly, as shown in Fig. 5, which bowed portion is automatically moved along like .a wave as the cloth beam is slowly wound up during the weaving process.

In practice the weft wire 20, indicated in Fig. 5, to be driven into the work is on the side of the wave toward the loom, so that as each succeeding weft wire is driven into place, the preceeding weft wires are forced over the crest and then down the side away from the loom. As a result the fabric :is exceptionally' smooth across the/entire width.

The manner in which the work is engaged is best illustrated in Fig. 4 wherein the swing of the batten is indicated diagrammatically and wherein the are 21 described by the upper edge of the strip 14 is shown as intercepting the line of the l'ower warp wires at 22 beforethe batten reaches the end of the forward swing.

In Fig. v5 I have shown diagrammatically in full lines the strip 14 in engagement with the warp bank 30. The broken lines 3O illustrate the position of the warp bank when the strip is in the position shown at 14?.

An important advantage of my invention is the fact that I have been able :to obtain fabric having an exceptional degree of smoothness and that such fabric can be woven without making extensive changes in the construction of the 100m and also without changing the construction of the reed. Moregaged on the underside until the maximum pressure is reached when the weft wire'is brought .to rest within the work.

2. In a loom, the combination with a frame, of a batten pivota'lly mounted thereon, .a reed carried "by the batten, a member positioned on the batten in front of the reed V and in close proximity thereto and projecting .above the bottom of the lowermost exposed portion thereof, warp wires extending through said reed said member being arranged to engage the underside of said warp wires and to exert pressure thereon" during the forward swing of the batten, and to release the pressure during the backward swing.

3. A step in the method of weaving wire fabric, comprising engaging and slightly raisingthe warp bank at the moment of heatup and in the region of the last few weft wires. v

4. A step in the method of weaving wire fabric, comprising engaging the underside of the warp bank at the moment of the beatup, exerting sufficient pressure to stretch the warp "bank substantially the full width of the work, and then releasing the pressure immediately after the moment of beat-up;

'In testimony whereof, Ihereunto aflix my signature.

HAMILTON LINDSAY. 

